SANTA CLARA — The 49ers know who their target is this week, and it’s not Philip Rivers.
It’s not quite this simple, but if the 49ers can stop Indianapolis running back Jonathan Taylor in his tracks Monday night, they’re going to the playoffs.
At 10-4, the 49ers will clinch a playoff berth with a road win over the Indianapolis Colts, who are 8-6 but losers of four consecutive games.
Beating the Colts means preventing Taylor from regaining his mojo against a defense gave up a gaudy 6.8 yards per carry and 104 yards on 14 attempts to Tony Pollard in a 37-24 win over the Tennessee Titans.
“We know we have a challenge this week with such a great running team,” coach Kyle Shanahan said Thursday. “I could sit here and make excuses for stats, but it hasn’t been good enough and hopefully we can have a better showing this weekend.”
The 49ers’ run defense could get a boost with the potential return of inside linebacker Tatum Bethune, who has missed the last six games with a high ankle sprain and limited with Curtis Robinson taking his place. Also checking out physically is practice squad linebacker Eric Kendricks (calf), who will be limited, as is Bethune. Also limited is defensive end Sam Okuayinonu (ankle), defensive end Yatur Gross-Matos (hamstring) and cornerback Renardo Green (neck).
Those who didn’t practice included wide receiver Ricky Pearsall Jr. (ankle/knee), defensive tackle Jordan Elliott (knee), guard Spencer Burford (ankle/knee) and linebacker Nick Martin (concussion protocol).
Shanahan wasn’t ruling out Pearsall from being good to go by Monday night.
“There’s a chance,” Shanahan said. “He’s doing a lot better today than he was on Monday and the extra day will help so he’s got a shot.”
The 49ers know what they’re up against with Taylor. Safety Malik Mustapha a big hitter in the secondary who occasionally misses on a tackle or two, is looking forward to the challenge.
“He’s one of the best running backs in the league,” Mustapha said. “It’s a great opportunity for me and I’m excited.”
Safety Ji’Ayir Brown said “I like J.T. man, he’s always been good since college. I’ve been watching him coming up.”
Rivers and his comeback at age 44 is the big story, but the 49ers success will largely depend on whether the NFL’s 12th-ranked rushing defense can slow the charge of Taylor, who leads the NFL with 1,443 yards rushing (5.3 yards per carry), 16 touchdowns and an average of 103.1 yards per game.
At 5-foot-10, 226 pounds, Taylor can pound the middle and has breakaway ability with a long rush of 83 yards. The 49ers’ Christian McCaffrey, by contrast, has a long run of 20 yards and quarterback Brock Purdy has the longest run from scrimmage at 26 yards.
The Colts have surrounded Taylor with a solid run-blocking line as well as big, physical receivers who block downfield.
“You’ve got a 4.3 (in the 40-yard dash) back who has the weight to run people over, can break tackles, and he’s been doing it for a long time,” Shanahan said. “He’s an elite running back who can get to the holes, has great vision and has elite talent and a great supporting cast and a great scheme.”
But the going has gotten tougher for Taylor of late as it has for the Colts during a four-game losing streak that has seen Indianapolis go from one of the NFL’s surprise teams to potentially out of the playoff picture.
In the four losses, Taylor has 304 yards on 83 carries, a 3.7 average and just one touchdowns.
One of the concerns of an otherwise impressive win over Indianapolis was the 49ers inability to stop the run, with Tony Pollard gaining 104 yards on 14 carries. Tennessee came in with the 31st-ranked rushing offense.
“We’ve still got a lot of improving to do,” defensive tackle Alfred Collins said. “But I think we’re in a decent place.
The 49ers haven’t played the Colts since Oct. 24, 2021 on a rainy night at Levi’s Stadium. The Colts won 30-18, with Taylor gaining 107 yards on 18 carries. It came after a 49ers bye and dropped their record to 2-4 and played a role in some key changes to come later, including moving Arik Armstead from end to tackle.
Taylor, still only 26, has 7,456 yards and 67 touchdowns since being a second-round draft pick out of Wisconsin in 2020.
“I’ve talked to him a little bit over the years and he’s somebody that can do it all,” McCaffrey said. “He’s got 4.3 speed, can make people miss. Is big, physical. Can catch the ball too. I’ve got the utmost respect for what he’s doing this year.”
Something on the table
Instead of all the speculation and projection, the 49ers have something tangible to play for Monday night beyond being a national showcase game.
Win and they’re in the playoffs, a remarkable accomplishment for a team that was 6-11 a year ago and had well-documented injuries this season to Nick Bosa, Fred Warner, George Kittle and Brock Purdy, among others.
“I’m sure everybody doubted us to be where we are today, but we’re not done and we’ve got bigger plans ahead,” Brown said.
McCaffrey’s Anaconda trailer
An advertising trailer for the movie “Anaconda” with Jack Black and Paul Rudd is out featuring McCaffrey, who flexes as he lectures the two actors about what it takes to go after an Anaconda.
“You want to catch an Anaconda, you need the perfect bait,” McCaffrey said. “You need someone with speed and good hands. No hesitation, no fear. You need someone who runs toward the threat.”
Moments, later McCaffrey is running away in fear with a hog on his neck.
“I was wrong! Run away!,” McCaffrey yells in faux panic.
Said McCaffrey: “It’s fun to do stuff that’s out of the ordinary. They made it so much fun. It was quick. Having that hog on my back was crazy. It looked real.”
During the actual shooting, McCaffrey said he wasn’t actually with Black or Rudd.
“I didn’t get to meet them or anything but when I saw the final product I was fired up,” McCaffrey said.
McCaffrey also has done ads for Uber Eats and Lowe’s.
A minor issue
When some 49ers (George Kittle, Purdy, Kyle Juszczk and Mac Jones among them) made their way to the Shark Tank Tuesday for a 6-3 win over the Calgary Flames, they were invited to the postgame locker room for a postgame libation.
Jones asked Sharks star Macklin Celebrini if he wanted a beer.
Oops.
“I’m 19,” Celebrini said.
Notable
McCaffrey and Trent Williams didn’t practice with scheduled veteran days. Elliott and Burford were in jerseys and working off to the side.